Tuesday, April 25, 2017

RADIO STARS/Thinking Inside The Box (4CD) reviewed!

RADIO STARS

THINKING INSIDE THE BOX

(4CD)Available NOW!

Always the bridesmaids…

England’s Radio Stars was a semi-supergroup for music geeks. For starters, vocalist
Andy Ellison had fronted the ‘60s
band John’s Children, best known as
the springboard for a young Marc Bolan
before he became a hippy-dippy Folk singer in Tyrannosaurus Rex and then the King Of Glam in T. Rex. And for extra street
cred, bassist and main songwriter Martin
Gordon had once played beside the Mael
Brothers in Sparks. Add in
drummer Chris Townson and guitarist Ian MacLeod and you’ve got the first
line-up of the band (the drummer’s seat would be revolving during the band’s
short tenure). Incidentally, Ellison, Gordon and Townson had all been members
of Glam ‘almost-weres’ Jet. On paper and in the studio, the combination of
these talents worked well. And for a few
fleeting moments, it seemed as if Radio Stars were going to be huge. But then reality kicked in…

The musical landscape is littered with
great bands that fell by the wayside and Radio Stars is one of them. While some have called them Punk, the band was
actually a great Rock band with a Punk/New Wave edge. The band’s fresh approach
to their music really did incorporate the keen Pop sensibilities of the ‘60s,
the Glamtastic stomp of the early ‘70s, the quirkiness of Sparks and later period
Sweet and the electric energy of the
late ‘70s. If any comparisons can be made, Radio Stars were more like a goofier
version of The Boys and The Incredible Kidda Band… or perhaps a
twisted mash-up of The Vibrators and
Sweet with some Chris Spedding thrown
in for measure. The fact that they only released two albums and a batch of singles
is a shame and a great loss to all of us who have spent our lives searching for
bands as unique as Radio Stars. Far from your average gang of rockers, Radio
Stars had personality, humor and loads of great tunes – you know, things that
used to be important.

Thankfully, Cherry Red has stepped up to the plate and released THINKING
OUTSIDE THE BOX, a four CD set that contains both of their albums in
mini LP sleeves plus a CD of non-album A and B-sides and rarities from their
short but cuddly career. The fourth CD features Peel Sessions and live BBC performances.
While music fans have long held the band close to their hearts, they have been
under-appreciated by the masses for far too long. With this release and a few
dozen peaceful marches across the globe, perhaps we can turn that all around? Before then, let me give you a briefing on
what you’ll hear once you get this box (and you WILL be buying it, right?)…

Their 1977 debut album, SONGS
FOR SWINGING LOVERS, is a snotty and energetic blast of skewered
Pop. On the surface, it may appear
simple but there’s nothing simple about Radio Stars. The catchy vocal melodies are held up by
proper guitar licks/riffs and a crazy rhythm section. Perhaps the most overtly ‘fun’
band of the era, Radio Stars took their craft seriously yet they crafted
seriously fun songs. “Don’t Waste My
Time,” “Good Personality,” “Arthur Is Dead Boring (Let’s Rot),” and “Is It
Really Necessary” are high points. “Nice Girls” could be a lost Cheap Trick
song. And there’s so much more to love about this delicious platter. Poptastic
to the core.

1978’s HOLIDAY ALBUM continued with
the quirky trend but saw the band expand their musical template by adding keyboards,
a slightly harder edge and more musical nods to The Kinks and The Who. Not far removed from their Glam roots, this
platter is just as charming as the debut but definitely a lot more focused. The
Pop-errific “The Real Me” is an absolute
gem. Other highlights include “Boy Meets Girl,” “Baffin Island,” “Sitting In
The Rain,” “Rock ‘n’ Roll For The Time Being,” “I’m Down” and “No Russians In
Russia” (a re-recording of an earlier non-album track). Their take on The Beatles’ “Norwegian Wood” is quite
clever. While they may be best known for their earlier releases, HOLIDAY
ALBUM is actually the better of the two studio albums.

The SINGLES & RARITIES disc is top
notch. Filled with non-album tracks that will leave you frothing at the mouth,
it reveals even more sides to the band.
Some of the early singles like “Dirty Pictures” show why there was such
a buzz about the band in their early years. In fact, even more layers and
influences are revealed. “Sail Away” and “Box 29” have a hint of Bowie. “Sorry
I’m Tied Up” is quite a tune and definitely a high-point in their catalog. Another
Beatles classic, “Dear Prudence,” is
quirky and worthy of many spins. “Horrible Breath” revisits the pre-T. Rex Marc
Bolan rarity. “From A Rabbit” should have been a key album track. Etc. If
you already own the two albums, then you need this box just for this disc
alone. Fookin’ brilliant.

The final disc shows the edgier side of
the band with Peel Sessions and live recordings. It is interesting to hear
these tracks with a different energy that you only experience in a live setting. However, they are not quite as appealing to
these ears as the studio versions. That
is nothing against Radio Stars - I feel that way about EVERY live recording and
Peel Session – great to hear a different take on things but give me the studio
versions any day! With that being said, I’m glad these tracks are here because
I am a hopeless completist…

A box for the ages. Or at least a box for Radio Stars fans. Simply glorious no matter how you look at it.
So, have you ordered your copy yet?
Better hurry – they won’t be available forever!